FAA Flight Plan

Charting the Path for the Next Generation

2008-2012
Safetywherever you go.

The Federal Aviation Administration
1 © Peter Hendrie / Getty Images
The FAA provides the safest,

most efficient aerospace system 

in the world.We set our sights on safe 

and efficient transportation, spreading 

the net of safety to the four corners 

of the globe.This is our strategy 

to make it happen.

We make America fly

2
Photo by Laurie Zaleski / FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Increased Safety . . . . . . . . . 17

Greater Capacity . . . . . . . . . 27

International Leadership . . . 39

Organizational Excellence . . 47

Acronyms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
4 © Blend Images / Alamy
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T hese are basic truths: aviation is

safer than ever, capacity must expand

to meet demand, and we must be

good environmental stewards. The FAA’s

plan to redesign America’s aviation system

supports each of these in a way that will

keep things running smoothly to 2025 and

beyond. We must continue the productive

relationships we have forged with our international partners. And we must continue to

provide all Americans the best possible

value for their investment. The tax dollars

we spend must benefit everyone.

Our skies are safe. They are so safe that we

now monitor incidents and accidents that

didn’t happen. Working in partnership with

the aviation industry, we have achieved an

incredibly low rate of commercial fatal accidents. In the last 10 years, the commercial

fatal accident rate has dropped 57 percent.

No other mode of transportation has a

safety record that meets our high standard,

domestically or abroad. We have also

achieved significant reductions in general

aviation accidents across the country. 

Even so, the bottom line is that the status

quo — regardless of the fact that we’re in

an era of unprecedented safety — will not

meet the needs of the future. As passengers

continue to fly in ever-increasing numbers,

and as more planes continue to fill the

skies, we have to be ready and able to

handle that growth safely and efficiently.

Our aviation system must continue to

change to meet the growing needs of our

country, engaging the brightest minds in

the industry, encouraging our employees

to reach for excellence in all they do, and

taking advantage of new technologies. Our

biggest challenge today and in the future

is meeting capacity needs.

The technology and procedures in

NextGen — shorthand for the Next

Generation Air Transportation System — 

can handle all of this and more. As the

current system has grown to handle over 

2 million enplanements a day, it’s clear

that our capacity is now stretched thin.

With new developments, such as Very

Light Jets and Unmanned Aircraft Systems,

and the increasing growth of low-cost 

carriers, the challenge to increase capacity

will only intensify in the years ahead. 

We need to act now to meet this challenge.

Simply put, we need to overhaul our 

aviation system. NextGen does that, and

the plan is well under way. NextGen 

transforms our 40-year-old technology 

into state-of-the-art operations. 

INTRODUCTION

Aviation’s Second Century Begins with an 

Eye Toward the Future.
The transformation is already happening

on multiple fronts. This Flight Plan is our

guide to NextGen over the next five years.

For example, we’ve implemented new 

performance-based navigation procedures

to increase departures at Dallas/Fort Worth

by up to 20 additional operations per hour.

Automatic Dependent Surveillance —

Broadcast (ADS-B) transforms radar and

voice-based air traffic control into digital

and satellite-based surveillance enabling air

traffic separation services and aircraft-toaircraft situational awareness. The number of

accidents in Alaska by aircraft using ADS-B

has decreased sharply. We are expanding

the program for use in the Gulf of Mexico

based on this success. We are also testing

a prototype Continuous Descent Arrival

(CDA) at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, which

projects immediate savings in fuel while

also decreasing noise.

In short, with NextGen we’re boosting

capacity, increasing safety, and diminishing

our impact on the environment while

doing so. Aviation accounts for less than

three percent of greenhouse gases. In conjunction with plans for alternative, cleaner

burning fuels, new procedures and technology are lowering the harmful emissions

that are already the lowest of any mode 

of transportation. 

We recognize that we are not alone in our

efforts. In the spirit of partnership and

cooperation, we work both at home with

our own aviation industry and customers,

and internationally with other countries

and international organizations to ensure

seamless aviation systems around the world.

Canada, China, Europe, India, Japan, Mexico

and others are moving forward with their

own modernization programs, including

satellite-based navigation technology, and

we will be in step with them.

In all that we do, we are using America’s

resources responsibly. We’re responding to

the call by the taxpayer and Congress to

6

KEVIN CHAMNESS Oceanic Service Improvements, Air Traffic Organization,

Washington Headquarters ✈ Kevin, you commented that we needed to clarify

ADS-B as a surveillance application within a satellite-based system to avoid

confusion among our readers and industry. As the cornerstone of NextGen, we

agree we need to be as clear as possible. Because of your comment, we’ve

changed the narrative in the Flight Plan on ADS-B.

Photo by Jon Ross / FAA
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operate with cost efficiencies in mind. 

We continue to consolidate facilities and

administrative staffs where appropriate.

Our cost control measures continue to reap

savings, and all of our major capital projects are on time and on budget. The FAA

also continues to outperform many other

Federal agencies in awarding procurements

to small businesses. In FY 2007, the FAA

awarded approximately $1 billion — 30

percent of its direct procurement dollars —

to small businesses.

We continue to push for a cost-based

financing system for the FAA with dedicated

funding for NextGen capital projects. Our

financing system should be balanced, fair,

and provide predictability, reliability, and

stakeholder involvement. In February, we

sent legislation to Congress that accomplishes these goals and fully funds NextGen.

With this proposal, the factors that drive

our costs — such as how many flights

users make and how far they fly — would

also drive our revenues. With a cost-based

structure, users would also understand the

impact of their actions and see a direct

relationship between investments we make

and the costs they pay. Our legislation 

proposed to link revenues and spending

through cost-based fuel taxes and user fees

to both encourage the most efficient use of

the airspace and to invest more robustly in

the transformation to NextGen.

We know that NextGen is a system that

will take many years to fully implement,

but we will have key accomplishments in

the next five years as well. The following

chart shows some of our key near-term

deliverables within the NextGen framework,

as well as brief explanations of the key

programs and established targets.

© Roger Bamber / Alamy
CDA Continuous Descent Arrivals

CDA procedures provide for lower 

noise and emissions and increased 

fuel efficiency.

2008

● CDA used during very low traffic situations at Louisville and

Los Angeles.

* Note: These activities are currently planned for the end of Fiscal Year 2010.

NEXTGEN TRANSFORMATIONAL PROGRAMS 2008-2012

DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES

ADS-B Automatic Dependent 

Surveillance Broadcast

ADS-B is the future of air traffic management. ADS-B uses GPS technology to

provide controllers and pilots with more

accurate aircraft position information.

Provide Flight Information Services and

Traffic Information Services to the cockpit

along with ADS-B data.

Surface Management Safety

Enhancements

Surveillance provides position information on the airport surface that is displayed to service providers and to pilots

in appropriately equipped aircraft.

2008

● Develop advanced applications including Conflict Detection

in the Cockpit and Air to Air Applications through Human in

the Loop Simulations and completion of Initial Safety

Hazard Analysis and documentation.

DATA COMM NextGen Data

Communications 

Using internet-like communications,

pilots and controllers can exchange 

routine messages and clearances via

data link.

2008

● Determine FAA’s initial investment strategy for the data communications program and the concomitant rulemaking strategy for airborne equipment.

8

2008

● Achieve Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for Broadcast

Services [Traffic Information Services — Broadcast / Flight

Information Services — Broadcast (TIS-B / FIS-B)]

2009

● Obtain Approval of Terminal (CARTS) and En Route 

(Host / ERAM) Separation Standards

2010

● Issue Final Rule

● Obtain Approval of Terminal (STARS) and En Route

(MEARTS) Separation Standards

● Achieve Initial Operating Capability (IOC) at key sites

(Louisville, Gulf of Mexico, Philadelphia, and Juneau)* 

● Exercise Option for Segment 2 (remainder of NAS)*
DESCRIPTION ACTIVITIES

NextGen Demonstrations and

Infrastructure Development

Demonstrations help define operational

concepts and the supporting technologies. Infrastructure improvements allow

controllers to maintain capacity services

despite increased complexity of traffic.

2008

● Conduct Oceanic Trajectory Based Operations demonstration

2009

● Conduct High-Density Airport Time-based RNAV/RNP Flight

Demonstration

2008-2011

● Carry Out Infrastructure Engineering for Trajectory Based

Operations 

Addressing Environmental Issues

Provide necessary scientific knowledge,

accelerate improvements in aircraft

engine and airframe technologies,

explore use of alternative fuels, and

enhance use of air traffic management

procedures to reduce significant aviation

noise and emissions impacts.

2011

● Develop and demonstrate the feasibility of use of alternative

fuels in aircraft systems, including successful demonstration

and quantification of benefits. 

● Establish, develop, and implement metrics to better assess

climate impacts from commercial aircraft operations. 

2012

● Develop science-based understanding of impacts of aircraft

noise and aviation emissions on human health and welfare. 

● Develop reliable, inexpensive methods to measure PM and HAPs

emissions that will be used to populate analysis databases. 

9

SWIM System Wide Information

Management

SWIM provides high quality, timely, 

network approach to simultaneous 

data exchange between many users 

and data sources.

2009

● Identify initial set of SWIM standards and make available to

both internal users and external users such as DoD, DHS

and airline operations centers to govern their access to FAA’s

traffic flow and flight management

2012

● Achieve initial standardized SWIM segment 1 capability in

traffic flow and flight management between the traffic flow

management system (TFMS) and en-route automation 

modernization (ERAM).

© Corbis
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Meeting the Needs of the Future

The Flight Plan is all about keeping our

eye on the future. It has proven to be a

tool of enormous strategic and tactical 

significance. In the past, the FAA’s to-do

list had literally thousands of items on it.

The Flight Plan focuses that list to the top

30 agency targets that position us to meet

the future successfully. 

Here is our report card on what we’ve

already accomplished. We continue to

make strides to implement our current

Flight Plan, including NextGen and the

major technologies that will form its underlying structure. Our progress includes:

Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast

(ADS-B)

ADS-B is a satellite-based technology that

broadcasts aircraft identification, position and

speed with once-per-second updates. It is

the backbone of NextGen. The Capstone

program in Alaska, using a combination of

ADS-B, multi-function display (moving maps,

terrain proximity, weather and flight information, other aircraft), flight monitoring and

expanded IFR operating areas, along with

other safety programs, contributed to a 40

percent drop in aviation accidents among

participants. UPS partnered with the FAA in

an ADS-B pilot program and expects a 30

percent reduction in noise and a 34 percent

decline in emissions for ADS-B-equipped

aircraft below 10,000 feet. A partnership

with the helicopter industry will bring ADS-B

to the Gulf of Mexico in December 2009.

Required Navigation Performance (RNP)

Substantial progress with RNP has been

made to date, and a total of at least 250 RNP

Special Aircraft and Aircrew Authorization

Required (SAAAR) approach procedures

are expected by 2012. This program will

result in increased navigational precision

by aircraft and can reduce spacing — and

thus increase airspace capacity — without

compromising safety.

Continuous Descent Arrival (CDA)

CDA is a procedure that optimizes the 

aircraft approach from the beginning of 

its descent to touchdown. With CDA, 

noise and emission levels are substantially

reduced. A CDA procedure was designed

and successfully instituted at Los Angeles

International Airport. It will go into operation after the completion of a runway

upgrade in 2007. Also, a CDA procedure

was demonstrated for Atlanta Hartsfield

Airport in April 2007.

Breaking Ground at LaGuardia 

In February 2007, we broke ground on a

new control tower at New York’s LaGuardia

Airport. It is one of 22 new tower facilities

planned for the national airspace system that

will increase safety and improve efficiency.

© Cessna Aircraft Company
The 233-foot-high tower is scheduled to be commissioned by June

2010.

Modernizing Air Traffic Services

We completed the deployment of

User Request Evaluation Tool

(URET), which automatically

detects and advises air traffic controllers of predicted traffic conflicts and changing weather situations in the immediate area and

adjoining airspace. The tool also

helps controllers create alternative

routes and reduce the number of changes

required. In addition to increasing safety,

the tool is proving to have significant cost

savings as well. With URET, controllers can

more frequently assign pilots direct routings,

allowing aircraft to fly at more fuel-efficient

altitudes and wind-optimal routes.

Improving Runway Safety

Relative position on runways and taxiways

is critical information for aircrews. That

knowledge is especially important at night,

in poor weather, or when the crew is 

unfamiliar with the airport layout. Pilots

will continue to look out their windshields

and follow Air Traffic Control guidance,

but with a lot more help. In March 2007,

the FAA approved an invaluable electronic

tool in the cockpit called the Electronic

Flight Bag — a moving map with “own

ship position” display. 

Creating Capacity with Reliever Airports

The FAA continues to place great emphasis

in providing additional capacity at the 35

Operational Evolution Partnership (OEP)

airports. In addition to the OEP airports,

there is an initiative under the Capacity

Goal area to direct Airport Improvement

Program (AIP) funding to reduce capacity

constraints at secondary commercial service

and general aviation/reliever airports located

within the congested metropolitan areas.

AIP funding is directed to projects such as

new runways, taxiways, aprons, lighting,

marking, navigation aids, and signage.

Alaska RNP © 1995-2007 Alaska Air Group Inc.

11

GLORIA VANBRAKLE Employee Safety Specialist, Office of Human Resource

Management, Washington Headquarters ✈ Gloria, you pointed out the 

importance of our employee safety programs. We agree. We’re proud of our

accomplishments in employee safety and thanks to your suggestion, we’ve

added this in our accomplishments section to highlight our efforts and 

improvement in this area.
Further, the OEP Airport

Development Domain has

been revised to include these

same airports and will track

high visibility projects that

reduce capacity constraints.

Improving Safety Requirements

for Long-Range Flights

In light of the dramatic

increases in long-distance

flights and extraordinary 

reliability of today’s aircraft

engines, we issued a new

rule designed to minimize

mechanical problems

through enhanced maintenance procedures and to

protect passengers and flight crews in the

rare event of an emergency diversion over

remote areas. Since airplanes occasionally

divert for reasons unrelated to engine

problems — such as mechanical problems

or passenger medical emergencies — the

rule requires that airplane systems be able

to support lengthy diversions in remote

and sometimes harsh environments. It also

requires proactive flight planning, crew

training, and awareness of appropriate

facilities at or close to diversion airports

that may protect passengers and crew from

the elements.

Enhancing Air Security

The FAA is responsible for protecting the

nation and U.S. interests in aviation by

conducting a broad range of activities. FAA

plans and implements diverse air traffic

and airspace management-related measures

to support national defense, homeland

security, law enforcement, national response

efforts, and ensures the operational availability of the National Airspace System

(NAS) by protecting the facilities that 

constitute the systems that in turn provide

air traffic services.

12

STEVE SILVERS Service Operations Center Manager, Air Traffic Organization,

Great Lakes Region ✈ Steve, you suggested that we look at the number of 

runways at existing airports around the country to see if they could be utilized

in relieving some of the congestion at larger airports. Because of your comment,

we’ve highlighted our efforts in providing additional capacity with reliever airports, including an additional initiative to direct Airport Improvement Program

(AIP) funding to reduce capacity constraints.

© Firefly Productions / Corbis
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Enhancing Air Tour Safety

In February 2007, we issued new regulations

that require air tour operators to meet the

safety requirements in the expanded

National Air Tour Safety Standards of the

Federal Aviation Regulations. The new 

regulations include requirements for

enhanced passenger briefings before takeoff,

life preservers and helicopter floats for specific over water operations, and helicopter

performance plans. 

Making Air Travel More Accessible

In December 2006, we certified the doubledecker Airbus A380 jet — the world’s largest

commercial airliner — to fly passengers

and cargo. FAA jointly issued type certificates with the European Aviation Safety

Agency (EASA) as a result of international

collaboration. With the ability to carry up

to 800 people, this jet may help increase

capacity and reduce congestion. 

In July 2007, Boeing rolled out the 787

Dreamliner, which will carry up to 330

passengers, use 20 percent less fuel than

airplanes its size, significantly reduce 

emissions, and allow quieter takeoffs and

landings. We’re working with Boeing to

certificate the Dreamliner by 2008.

Furthering International Aviation

The FAA signed a new Memorandum of

Agreement with the Ministry of Civil Aviation

of the Government of India on November

13, 2006. This provides the foundation for

increased FAA assistance to India for the

development and modernization of its 

aviation infrastructure. India is the third

fastest growing domestic aviation market 

in the world and is an important partner 

in global efforts to create a seamless global

navigation satellite system.

© Boeing Photo by Julio Gandara / FAA
14

© Richard Shock / Jupiterimages Corporation
In 1997, the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security issued a challenge to

the FAA and the aviation industry — to reduce the air carrier fatal accident rate by 80 percent

in ten years. This year marks the end of that ten-year period. Although we did not achieve that

ambitious target set ten years ago, system safety has still increased dramatically. Aviation has

achieved a rate of 0.022 fatal accidents per 100,000 departures — a 57 percent drop. 

Through the continuing effort and cooperation of the aviation industry and the FAA, we have

achieved the safest period in aviation history. For this reason, we are unveiling a new performance metric for commercial air carrier safety — fatalities per 100 million persons on board.

The old metric has value and we will continue to track it, but this new metric is more relevant

to the flying public, and is a better measure of individual risk. It is also a metric that will

allow us to track infinitesimal safety improvements as we drive our accident rate lower and

lower. And the long-term target is no less audacious — we aim to cut this risk in half by

2025. We will continue to work in partnership with industry to make this vision a reality.

REDUCE COMMERCIAL AIR 

CARRIER FATAL ACCIDENT RATE

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Cost Savings

We implemented the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure Program to upgrade our

legacy telecommunication systems with an

integrated system. This program decreases

costs and increases productivity while

responding to increased security needs. It

allows the FAA to match cost to performance at multiple locations today, and support the future needs of NextGen.

As this Flight Plan is focused on the FAA’s

top 30 performance targets, we know there

are often questions about the details of

these targets. Each of these targets has a

specific performance metric for implementation, called our Portfolio of Goals, and

we invite you to visit our website at

www.faa.gov to see those profiles and

delve into the details. These profiles

describe how we create each of our metrics,

why we chose a specific metric, where our

data comes from, any statistical issues surrounding the metrics, and the completeness

and reliability of our measures. Additionally,

each FAA line of business and staff office

posts its annual business plan on our website. These business plans include our core

business programs which also support the

targets in our Flight Plan’s four Goal Areas.
16 © David Sailors / Corbis
17

INCREASED SAFETY

Our goal is to achieve the lowest possible accident rate 

and constantly improve safety.

Bottom line upfront: Safety is our

North Star. Even though our system

is the world’s safest, we will always

head toward improvement. 

When the White House Commission on

Aviation Safety and Security challenged the

FAA and the aviation industry to reduce the

air carrier fatal accident rate by 80 percent

in ten years, we initiated a joint governmentindustry analysis of causal factors most 

frequently involved in aviation accidents.

This formed the basis for joint governmentindustry efforts to reduce the number of

accidents in both the commercial and 

general aviation areas.

This year marks the end of that ten-year

period. We have achieved a 57 percent

drop in aviation accidents. While we did not

achieve the full target set ten years ago, we

continue to work towards its accomplishment. In the three years prior to setting

this goal, the United States averaged about

six commercial fatal accidents and 266

deaths per year. 

Today, thanks to new technology, revised

rules and procedures, and increased training,

not only are there fewer commercial fatal

accidents each year, but the chances of

survival have increased significantly. In the

past three years, the United States averaged

approximately two fatal accidents per year

and 28 deaths per year.

The Flight Plan continues to help us focus

on areas that will boost a record that’s

already the safest in history. General aviation

accidents are down. The fatal accident trend

for commuters, rotorcraft and on-demand

aircraft all continue to drop as well. Pilot

training and education are paying immediate

dividends. Runway incursions are down.

Air traffic control errors are occurring at a

rate lower than in the previous two years. 

We’ve worked to increase the level of 

safety by implementing new technology

and procedures. Required Navigational

Performance approaches enable pilots to

fly much more precise routes into airports.

We put 40 in place this year including ten

at Atlanta and another three in Dallas/

Fort Worth. Precision and safety go hand

in hand.

The FAA, with other federal agencies and

operators in the NAS, is adopting a Safety

Management System (SMS) that relies 

on developing standardized language,

processes, and tools used to manage 

safety risk. SMS relies on four “pillars” to

manage risk: Safety Policy, Safety Risk
Management, Safety Assurance, and Safety

Promotion. 

The newest frontier — commercial space —

continues its sterling safety record. We’ve

had 44 licensed launches in the last five

fiscal years. Since FY 2006, there have been

eight permitted launches. We have never

had a licensed or permitted commercial

space launch resulting in a public injury 

or fatality.

The section that follows lists our 2008-2012

initiatives, and unveils our new safety metric — fatalities per 100 million persons on

board in 2008. This is a metric that has

meaning for the flying public and measures

an individual’s risk to fly. It includes all

passengers and crew of any scheduled 

air carrier, including cargo flights. We are

currently at a rate of 8.8828 fatalities per

100 million persons on board in FY 2007.

We will target a continual improvement

each year, moving to a rate of

7.6490 in FY 2012. As low as

this metric is today, our goal 

is to cut it in half by 2025 and

reach the rate of 4.4414 per

100 million persons on board. 

Safety is our bottom line. It’s

non-negotiable.

We’ve spent the last year improving how we measure the severity of operational errors. Unlike

the previous method, which relied on factors such as flight paths or the subjective measure of

whether the aircraft was under air traffic control, our new measurement process, referred to as

the “Separation Conformance,” is objective. It determines the severity of an operational error

based on the closest proximity of the two aircraft and the percent of required separation that

was maintained. 

The Separation Conformance measure creates a reliable, rate-based measure of safety that

complements the rate-based measures of capacity. Such objective measures will help us 

better understand the level of risk in the National Airspace System (NAS) and will allow us 

to critically assess the effects of changes to the NAS.

NEW OPERATIONAL ERROR PROCESS

Photo by Jon Ross / FAA

18
TOP SAFETY ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2007

Reduced General Aviation Fatal Accidents. As a result of a variety of factors, including FAA’s

and industry’s cooperation to increase training and education, we continue to meet our goals

of reducing general aviation fatal accidents. To date, we have experienced 254 fatal accidents,

versus a target not-to-exceed ceiling of 264. We remain on track to be under our ceiling of

331 fatal accidents for the year. Personal and Commuter/On Demand fatal accidents continue

to decrease, and we are recording the lowest ever number of rotorcraft accidents since we

began measuring.

Significant Reduction in Alaska Accidents. Alaska experienced a significant decrease in 

aviation accidents in the state during FY 2007. With 56 accidents year-to-date, the number

remains well below the current target not-to-exceed ceiling of 75. 

Commercial Space Launch Target Maintained. To date, there has never been a licensed 

commercial space launch resulting in a public fatality or injury, and we strive to maintain 

this unblemished safety record. Two successful licensed launches occurred this year, as did

the first launches conducted under FAA-issued experimental permits. None of these eight 

permitted launches had fatalities or injuries suffered by the public.

Significant Reductions in Operational Errors. During the first half of the fiscal year, system

performance has improved over last fiscal year by 25 percent and is operating 26 percent 

better (3.15 per million activities) than the performance target (3.15 per million) of 4.27 

per million activities. Through March 2007, operational errors were occurring at a rate lower

than the previous

two fiscal years and

each Service Area is 

performing better

than their respective

performance targets. 

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COMPOSITE SAFETY INDEX

Rolling 3-Year Index, 1983-1985 Through 2004–2006 (Indexed on 1994–1996)

19

Base

Photo by Laurie Zaleski

FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center
OBJECTIVE 1

Reduce commercial air carrier fatalities.

Strategy

Continue the evolution toward a performance-based NAS by using a satellite-based

navigation system and onboard technologies.

These improvements allow aircraft greater

flexibility to navigate airspace more safely,

efficiently, and in a more environmentally

sound way than the current ground-based

navigation system.

Initiative

● Develop and implement Required

Navigation Performance (RNP) approach

procedures. Through FY 2012, we will

publish at least 250 RNP Special Aircraft

and Aircrew Authorization Required

(SAAAR) approach procedures.

● Provide third parties the ability to design,

flight check, and implement RNP

approach procedures with FAA providing

safety oversight.

Strategy

Address safety concerns and issues,

expand cost-effective safety oversight and

surveillance, and continue research into

the causal factors of accidents. 

Initiatives

● Send critical safety rules to the Office of

the Secretary of Transportation within 90

days of the planned date.

● Address the National Transportation

Safety Board’s identified safety issues. 

● Maintain ISO:9001 registration to certify

that FAA’s Aviation Safety Organization

meets the same standards expected of

those we regulate in the aviation industry. 

● Continue research to identify human 

factors that may contribute to accidents.

Develop and implement strategies, 

methods, and technologies that reduce

safety risk. 

20

LEWIS FISHER Air Traffic Organization, Washington Headquarters ✈ Lewis,

you suggested that we include that the FAA will perform safety oversight of 

the design, flight check and RNP approach procedures. In response to your

comment, we’ve rewritten the initiative to include this as a priority in our plan

to make it happen. Thank you for helping to keep safety our top priority.

© Alamy

Photo by Laurie Camilien-Pietrak / FAA
● Identify and implement activities

designed to streamline and improve the

Notice to Airmen process. 

● Where practical, upgrade Runway Safety

Areas to meet standards. 

Strategy

Promote and expand safety information

sharing efforts, including FAA-industry partnerships and data-driven safety programs

that identify, prioritize, and address risks

before they lead to accidents. 

Initiatives

● Promote national data sharing and analysis programs, such as the Aviation Safety

Information Analysis System (ASIAS).

● Complete implementation of the Air

Transportation Oversight System by

December 2007.

● Continue implementing Commercial

Aviation Safety Team (CAST) initiatives. 

● Improve the safety of transporting 

hazardous materials by air. 

Performance Target

● Cut the rate of fatalities per 100 million

persons on board in half by FY 2025. 

OBJECTIVE 2

Reduce the number of fatal accidents in

general aviation.

Strategy 

Implement technologies and systems that

will help pilots operate aircraft as safely 

as possible.

21

© Susan Hedenberg / www.FlyingHAerialPictures.com
Initiatives

● Continue delivery of dependent surveillance to key sites. Provide text and

graphical data through programs such 

as Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast/Traffic Information ServiceBroadcast, and Flight Information Service

Broadcast to the cockpit through flight

information services. Increase situational

awareness by improving the capabilities

of small aircraft with integrated displays,

data link, and traffic information. 

● Develop and publish Wide Area

Augmentation System (WAAS) approaches.

In FY 2008, we will publish 300 WAAS

approaches.

● Manage the Automated Flight Service

Station (AFSS) contract to provide quality

flight services to the contiguous United

States, Puerto Rico, and Hawaii.

Strategy 

Update and improve standard procedures

and guidelines for general aviation operators. 

22

WARREN FOSTER Supervisory Air Traffic Control Specialist, Air Traffic

Organization, Western-Pacific Region ✈ Warren, you suggested that we provide

oversight on the quality of service on the Automated Flight Service Stations

(AFSS), and your comment helped generate discussion with our senior executives.

We agree with your suggestion and have added a new initiative to help us

improve the quality of service. We will set quality standards and measure service

received against these standards.

A pilot waits for departure clearance from an Air Traffic Controller during Sun ’n Fun 2007. © Jon Ross / FAA
Initiatives

● Continue research to identify human 

factors that may contribute to accidents.

Develop and implement strategies, 

methods, and technologies that reduce

safety risk. 

● Develop policies, procedures, and

approval processes to enable operation

of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). 

● Working with industry, by FY 2009,

develop and baseline a target rate for

general aviation fatal accidents to replace

the current performance measure. 

Strategy

Expand and accelerate implementing safety

and air navigation improvement programs

in Alaska.

Initiatives

● Achieve full operational capability of

WAAS. 

● Expand the Capstone Program as part 

of the NAS through a phased approach

starting with Bethel and Southeast Alaska

with the goal of statewide implementation. 

● Continue to optimize weather camera

benefits and explore alternative technologies. 

● Support the Medallion, Circle of Safety,

and Alaska Flight Service Safety programs. 

● Improve rural airports to permit 24-hour

Visual Flight Rules (VFR) access. 

By FY 2009, establish an improved

statewide public RNP/RNAV WAAS

enabled route structure. 

● Provide high quality flight services to our

customers in Alaska.

Performance Targets

● By FY 2009, reduce the number of general aviation and nonscheduled Part 135

fatal accidents from the 1996-1998 average of 385 per year to no more than 319

accidents per year. This measure will be

converted from a number to a rate in FY

2009. The targets for FY 2009-2012 are

under development. 

● By FY 2009, reduce accidents in Alaska

for general aviation and all Part 135

operations from the 2000-2002 average

of 130 accidents per year to no more

than 99 accidents per year. This measure

will be converted from a number to a

rate after FY 2009. The targets for FY

2010-2012 are under development. 

OBJECTIVE 3

Reduce the risk of runway incursions.

Strategy

Identify and reduce runway incursion 

collision risks. 

Initiative 

● Improve training, procedures, evaluation,

analysis, testing, and certification to

reduce the risk of runway incursions

resulting from errors by pilots, air traffic

controllers, pedestrians, vehicle operators,

tug operators, and individuals conducting

aircraft taxi operations. 

23
Strategy

Modify and improve existing surface movement infrastructure. 

Initiatives

● Install Airport Surface Detection

Equipment-Model X (ASDE-X) and 

retrofit ASDE-X equipment capability 

into selected Airport Movement Area

Safety System (AMASS) installations, 

such as Chicago O’Hare and Atlanta

Hartsfield Airports. 

● Continue developing, testing, evaluating,

and deploying runway status lights at

AMASS and ASDE-X airports. 

Performance Target

● By FY 2010, limit Category A and B

(most serious) runway incursions to a

rate of no more than 0.450 per million

operations, and maintain or improve

through FY 2012. 

OBJECTIVE 4

Ensure the safety of commercial space

launches.

Strategy

Continue developing tools, guidance, and

regulations for reducing the safety risks for

commercial space launch and reentry operations, including those involving human

space flight. 

Initiatives 

● Ensure that safety oversight keeps pace

with changes in the commercial space

transportation environment. 

● Partner with National Aeronautics and

Space Administration (NASA) and

Department of Defense (DOD) to manage

the integration of space transportation

operations.

● Work with the Commercial Space

Transportation Advisory Committee

(COMSTAC) to determine appropriate

Human Space Flight safety performance

targets.

24

Courtesy Sea Launch
Performance Target

● No fatalities, serious injuries, or significant property damage to the uninvolved

public during licensed or permitted

space launch and reentry activities.

OBJECTIVE 5

Enhance the safety of FAA’s air traffic 

systems.

Strategy

Identify and reduce operational error collision risks and influence their reduction.

Initiatives

● Modify evaluations to help reduce operational errors. 

● Improve measurement and analysis of

safety performance by implementing

automated tools (Traffic Analysis and

Review Program) and developing

enhanced safety metrics and more efficient performance reporting processes.

● Provide pilots with safe access to the

NAS by analyzing and disseminating

aeronautical and meteorological information to pilots and controllers through

innovative systems. 

Performance Target

● Limit Category A and B (most serious)

operational errors to a rate of no more

than 1.95 per million activities by FY 2012.

OBJECTIVE 6

Implement a Safety Management System

(SMS) for the FAA.

Strategy

Design, develop, and implement a Safety

Management System (SMS) for the FAA.

Initiatives 

● Develop and implement agency-wide

SMS guidance. 

● Design and implement SMS for the 

delivery of air traffic services.

● Design and implement SMS for safety

regulation and certification.

● Design and implement SMS for airport

regulation and certification.

Performance Targets

● By FY 2010, implement SMS in the Air

Traffic Organization, Office of Aviation

Safety, and Office of Airports. By FY

2012, implement Safety Management

System (SMS) policy in all appropriate

FAA organizations. 

25

© Aviation Image Management / Alamy
26 © Mark Wagner Aviation-Images / Alamy
27

While our system is safer than ever,

there’s little question that it’s rapidly reaching critical mass in its

capacity. Eighteen of our nation’s biggest

airports have resumed their highest pre-9/11

commercial passenger levels. The capacity

of our airports, our runways and our skies

are stretched thin. We expect that by 2015,

the system will be carrying one billion passengers per year. International passenger

traffic is expected to grow by 70 percent

in that same timeframe. We project that by

2014, without any changes to our system,

we will see the system with delays 62 

percent higher than they are today. 

The FAA is taking steps right now to prevent these future delays. One of the key

components of NextGen will be a spacebased air traffic control and surveillance

system called Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). It’s designed to

increase real-time situational awareness in

the cockpit, freeing the system of much of

the ground-based hardware and procedures

that were created 50 years ago. ADS-B will

allow planes to fly closer together with the

same margin of safety, resulting in significant increases in airspace capacity. 

Over the last seven fiscal years, the FAA

and local communities have commissioned

13 new runways at the 35 Operational

Evolution Partnership (OEP) airports, providing them with means to accommodate

1.6 million more annual operations.

Currently, eight OEP airports have airfield

projects under construction (3 new runways, 2 airfield reconfigurations, 1 runway

extension, 1 end around taxiway and 1

centerfield taxiway). When complete, 

these airports will enable about 400,000

more annual operations and significantly

reduce runway crossings at these airports.

Additionally, we are committed to advancing aviation’s environmental stewardship

even as we increase capacity. Through it

all, each of these efforts to boost capacity

must be green. The FAA just launched an

institute in partnership with other government agencies and industry to research

alternative fuels. Our ultimate aim is a carbon-neutral aircraft. It’s a bold statement,

but taking care of the planet is an issue

that requires action today.

GREATER CAPACITY

Our goal is to work with local governments and airspace

users to provide increased capacity in the United States 

airspace system that reduces congestion and meets 

projected demand in an environmentally sound manner.
Environmental performance targets in the FAA Flight Plan are linked to the Capacity goal,

reflecting the FAA commitment to increasing the capacity of the National Airspace System

(NAS) in an environmentally sound manner. 

The ability to achieve the needed capacity of the NAS is closely linked to environmental 

performance of the NAS. The by-products of aviation — primarily noise and emissions — are

major constraints to continued growth. Preliminary analysis by the Joint Planning Development

Office (JPDO) shows that noise and emissions could increase between 140-200 percent over

the next 20 years, becoming a significant constraint on planned capacity increases. The FAA

is committed to managing aviation growth in an environmentally sound manner and has an

aggressive plan to accomplish this through mitigation, operational measures, measurements

and standards, and research and development. In addition, energy issues have significantly

gained more attention in the last few years due to sustained price rises and renewed interest

in alternative fuels.

The agency expects environmental issues will continue to create challenges over the five years

of this Flight Plan. Continuing efforts to reduce aircraft noise exposure and mitigate aviation

emissions will be critical to ensuring the necessary capacity growth in the NAS. In addition,

the need to limit or reduce aviation greenhouse gas emissions is an increasingly important

issue, especially in the international aviation system.

WHY WE INCLUDE ENVIRONMENT 

IN CAPACITY

28

© ImageState / Alamy
TOP GREATER CAPACITY ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2007

Research & Development. The new Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), in cooperation

with the National Academy of Sciences and its Transportation Research Board, provided $10

million per year. More than 60 airport research studies are currently underway. The ACRP Board

of Governors initiated a quick response research study as a follow-on to publication of the FAA's

study on “Capacity Needs in the National Airspace System 2007-2025” (referred to as FACT 2).

The study will examine innovative approaches to addressing aviation capacity issues in coastal

mega-regions, and will develop integrated strategic actions to address the constrained capacity

and growing travel demand on the east and west coasts. 

Updated Future Airport Capacity Task (FACT) Report. This study shows that by 2025, 14 airports

and eight metropolitan areas will require additional capacity, even if currently planned improvements are built at airports throughout the system. The FACT 2 study recommends capacity

improvements be progressed to include new runways and airports. Specifically, Atlanta, Chicago,

Las Vegas and San Diego were identified as cities needing supplemental airports. In addition,

the study recommends innovative approaches to reduce congestion and improve capacity to

include enhanced planning in metropolitan regions, congestion management at the busiest and

most constrained airports, and the development and implementation of NextGen 

Support Airport Integrated Product Team curb-to-curb Concept of Operations (ConOps). The

ConOps and the Enterprise Architecture were completed in May 2007. Specific transformational

issues are those affecting airports, security, environment, and air traffic management. 

Noise Compatibility. For FY 2007, approximately 20,000 people (residents and school students)

in noise impacted areas will receive benefits from noise compatibility projects funded under the

Airport Improvement Program (AIP). 

Commission three runways/taxiways. We opened Runway 14/32 at Boston-Logan International

Airport in November 2006, which already has shown delay reduction benefits in its first several

months of operation. Los Angeles International Airport Runway 7R/25L opened in March 2007.

With the opening of the end-around taxiway at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport in April 2007, about

612 runway crossings per day were eliminated at the busiest airport in the U.S., significantly

improving safety and efficiency. 

Area Navigation (RNAV) routes, Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) and Standard Terminal

Arrival Routes (STARs). We’ve implemented 155 Area Navigation (RNAV) arrivals and departures

to date at 38 airports, with 42 more to be published by the end of FY 2007. RNAV is saving

operators millions of dollars per year in fuel savings due to more efficient routes. We are also

beginning to realize capacity benefits: at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, RNAV enables twenty additional departures per hour; at Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, RNAV enables ten additional departures

per hour. 

29

© The Flight Collection / Alamy
OBJECTIVE 1

Increase capacity to meet projected demand

and reduce congestion. 

Strategy

Meet the new and growing demands for

air transportation services through 2025

through the interagency effort of the Joint

Planning and Development Office (JPDO).

Initiatives

● Expand FAA’s existing Operational Evolution Partnership (OEP) to incorporate

critical NextGen operational concepts

and changes, and detailed milestones of

key NAS modernization programs

through FY 2025. 

● By FY 2010, operationally implement

Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast (ADS-B) for air traffic services

at selected sites and continue development of surface conflict detection in 

the cockpit and near-term Air-to-Air

applications.

● Strategically link funding requests with

the acquisition of research and development products or services that support

FAA’s transition to NextGen. 

Congestion and delays increasingly hinder the efficient movement of passengers to their destinations, resulting in lost productivity and time away from families. Currently, the system handles

740 million enplanements on U.S. carriers each year. We expect this number to reach one 

billion passengers by 2015 and forecasts indicate increases in demand ranging from a factor

of two to three by 2025. Delays in 2006 were the worst in history and daily headlines in

newspapers across the country note the situation is not improving. The system is already

straining and will reach its maximum by 2015. The forecasted increase in aviation travel means

that passengers will experience ever-increasing levels of congestion unless the air transportation

system is modernized and transformed so it can better serve current and expected travel demand. 

The good news is that the FAA is working hard to reduce current delays and manage our 

congested airspace. We are building new runways, launching new technology, redesigning how

we use airspace over the most crowded corridors in our country, and putting new procedures

in place to facilitate capacity and efficiency enhancements. The NextGen system will play a

central role in reducing delays and managing congestion. NextGen replaces today’s system of

ground-based radar with a high-performance satellite-based system. NextGen will enable us to

meet future capacity needs, enhance safety, and provide an environmentally friendly National

Airspace System to boot. 

WHY WE NEED NEXTGEN

30
31

● Ensure that the environmental approach

for capacity expansion is compatible

with the road map developed by the

Environmental Working Group (EWG)

for NextGen.

● Develop the Airports Working Group

road map to support NextGen.

● Develop and meet 90 percent of the

deadlines in the NextGen Integrated

Work Plan that identifies the research,

capital, and implementation activities 

that are needed to implement NextGen

across all agencies.

Strategy 

Evaluate existing airport capacity levels

and set investment and infrastructure priorities and policies that enhance capacity. 

Initiatives

● Work with the aviation community to

establish the most feasible policies to

enhance capacity and manage congestion.

● Future Airport Capacity Task (FACT) will

work with airports and local communities

to develop toolbox of potential solutions

to address anticipated capacity shortfalls.

● Establish priorities for infrastructure

investments to maintain existing capacity

in a cost-effective manner. 

● Support airport planning studies to

enhance capacity in the Atlanta and 

San Diego metropolitan areas.

● Ensure that all necessary activities are

accomplished to meet new OEP runway

capability commitments established in

partnership with stakeholders. 

● Support environmental processing of 

airfield improvements at the 35 OEP 

airports including projects that support

Vision 100 environmental streamlining.

Strategy

Improve airspace access and modify separation standards to increase capacity and

allow more efficient use of congested airspace. 

Initiatives

● Redesign terminal airspace and change

procedures to increase capacity. 

● Implement the roadmap for performancebased navigation by the continued development and implementation of Area

Navigation (RNAV) routes, standard

ARIF HABIB Electronics Engineer, Air Traffic Organization, Southern Region ✈

Arif, you commented on the need for FAA assistance in developing smaller 

airports near the large OEP airports, and we agree that this will be a key factor

to increasing capacity and reducing delays. We currently have an initiative to

direct Airport Improvement Program funding towards reducing constraints at

secondary and reliever airports located within congested metropolitan areas. 
instrument departures (SIDs), and standard terminal arrival routes (STARs). In

FY 2008, we will publish 50 RNAV SIDs

and STARs and 12 RNAV routes. 

● Using the cross-organizational Airport

Obstructions Standards Committee

(AOSC), develop recommended standards

and action plans for runway procedures,

such as end-around taxiways, and establish databases and data collection tools

to improve airport flight operations,

while maintaining an optimal balance

among safety, capacity, and efficiency

considerations. 

● Conduct research to improve safety 

and increase throughput using wake 

turbulence monitoring, operational 

procedures, and controller tools.

● Enhance NAS performance for the 35 OEP

airports through advanced engineering

and program support.

Strategy

Improve bad weather departure and landing capacity with new technologies and

procedures.

32

© Fernando Bizerra Jr / epa / Corbis
Initiatives

● Capitalize on Spring/Summer Plan data,

developed in partnership with the airlines and other segments of aviation, to

improve traffic flow in bad weather. 

● Increase airport capacity through the use

of Traffic Management Advisor (TMA).

● Identify and implement procedures and

technology to improve the dissemination

of weather information to pilots and 

controllers. 

Strategy 

Increase aviation capacity and reduce congestion in the seven major metropolitan

areas and corridors that most affect total

system delay. For FY 2008, those areas are

Charlotte, Chicago, Las Vegas, Los Angeles,

New York, Philadelphia, and San

Francisco.

Initiatives

● Monitor and maintain scheduled progress

for Environmental Impact Statements 

at South Suburban (Chicago) and

Philadelphia Airports.

● Support airport planning study to

enhance capacity at San Francisco and

Southern Nevada Supplemental airports.

● Conduct regional studies for capacity 

and congestion in the New York, New

England, and Los Angeles metropolitan

areas. 

● Direct Airport Improvement Program (AIP)

funding to reduce capacity constraints of

secondary and reliever airports located

within those metropolitan areas. 

● Update our projections on which metropolitan areas will have the greatest impact

on the total system for delays over the

period of the Flight Plan. 

● Redesign the airspace of the seven major

metropolitan areas. 

● Expand use of time-based metering at air

traffic control centers. 

● In FY 2008, develop a metric to measure

the delay savings enabled by NextGen

improvements using minutes per scheduled Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) arrival

at the 35 OEP airports by FY 2012, and

beginning implementation of the metric

in FY 2009. 

Performance Targets

● Achieve an average daily airport capacity

for the 35 OEP airports of 104,338 arrivals

and departures per day by FY 2011 and

maintain through FY 2012.

● Commission nine new runway/taxiway

projects, increasing the annual service

volume of the 35 OEP airports by at least

1 percent annually, measured as a fiveyear moving average, through FY 2012.

● Sustain adjusted operational availability

of 99.7 percent for the reportable facilities that support the 35 OEP airports

through FY 2012. 

● Achieve an average daily airport capacity

for the seven major metropolitan areas of

39,484 arrivals and departures per day by

FY 2009, and maintain through FY 2012. 

33
34 © Armand-Photo-CGI / Alamy
OBJECTIVE 2

Increase reliability and on-time performance

of scheduled carriers. 

Strategy

Promote the use of automated systems that

provide more accurate and timely information for all system users. 

Initiative

● Improve on-time performance and operator and passenger access to information

by using Traffic Flow Management (TFM),

Traffic Management Advisor (TMA), and

Collaborative Air Traffic Management

Technologies (CATMT), such as Airspace

Flow Programs (AFPs). 

Strategy 

Restructure airspace to ensure efficient 

traffic flow between oceanic and domestic

airspace.

Initiatives

● Use new equipment and technology to

reduce en-route congestion. 

● Implement high-altitude airspace

redesign to reduce congestion. 

● Reduce oceanic separation in the Pacific. 

● Implement ocean capacity metrics and

targets for FY 2008, using comprehensive

Advanced Technologies and Oceanic

Procedures (ATOP) data collection and

analysis capability and oceanic simulation

and modeling capability. 

Performance Target

● Achieve a NAS on-time arrival rate of

88.76 percent at the 35 OEP airports by

FY 2011 and maintain through FY 2012. 

OBJECTIVE 3

Address environmental issues associated

with capacity enhancements.

Strategy

Develop better systems, technologies, and

analytical tools to evaluate aircraft noise

and emissions, and ensure environmental

stewardship.

35

The Average Daily Capacity Target (Arrivals and Departures) for the Metro 7 Areas will change

from 63,080 in FY 2007 to 33,676 in FY 2008. In collaboration with the FACT 2 study, the

Washington, DC area airports and the South Florida Metropolitan area airports were dropped

because their delay problems have improved. They have been replaced with two airports: Charlotte

and Las Vegas. In addition, the FY 2008 metric does not include several of the previously

included secondary airports, and will be recalculated in order to add them back in FY 2009.

METRO 7 AREAS
Initiatives

● Conduct research and develop, verify,

and validate analytical tools to better

understand the relationship between

noise and emissions and different types

of emissions, and to provide the cost

benefit analysis capability necessary for

data-driven decision-making. 

● Along with stakeholders, increase aircraft

noise and emissions mitigation activities

at the environmental Center of

Excellence. 

● Work with several airports to implement

Continuous Descent Arrival (CDA) for

night operations, and initiate research

into CDA applicability to airports with

greater traffic levels, general mixed fleet,

and mixed operations.

● Implement Environmental Management

Systems to ensure that FAA operations

protect the environment, meet statutory

and regulatory environmental requirements, and improve reliability and cost

effectiveness.

Performance Targets 

● Reduce the number of people exposed

to significant noise by 4 percent per year

through FY 2012, as measured by a threeyear moving average, from the three-year

average for calendar years 2000-2002. 

● Improve aviation fuel efficiency by

another 1 percent over the FY 2007 level

(for a total of 6 percent) through FY 2008,

and 1 percent each subsequent year

through FY 2012 to 10 percent, as measured by a three-year moving average of

the fuel burned per revenue mile flown,

from the three-year average for calendar

years 2000-2002.

36

© Kevin Fleming / Corbis
37 © Tami Chappell / Reuters / Corbis
38 © Dynamic Graphics, Inc. / Jupiterimages Corporation
39

INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP

Our goal is to increase the safety and capacity of the global

civil aerospace system in an environmentally sound manner.

T he U.S. is a global aviation leader in

terms of innovation, complexity, efficiency and safety. Through partnerships, associations, and collaborative efforts,

we’re working with the rest of the world

to achieve the highest standards of safety

and efficiency globally.

Our task is to spread the net of safety

throughout the world and to create a

seamless global aviation system for all users.

We’ve helped more than 130 countries

advance their aviation programs. We are

an active component of regional and international aviation organizations as well.

China and India are already experiencing

double-digit growth in aviation activity. In

the next 10 years, China’s air traffic control

system will be second in volume only to

our own. India is also at the forefront,

moving ahead with a satellite-based navigation system as an important component

of its aviation infrastructure. We are building

upon our experience in working with China

by developing an Aviation Cooperation

Program (ACP) in India.

We’re working with Europe to ensure

compatibility between NextGen and the

Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research Program (SESAR). We

signed an agreement last summer to 

formalize collaboration with the European

Union to make sure that technology is

seamless between our systems. Observers

from the FAA and the European Organization for the Safety of Air Navigation

(EUROCONTROL) have been assigned to

each other’s modernization advisory 

committees to ensure we are cooperating

and collaborating to the fullest. The

recently launched Atlantic Interoperability

initiative to Reduce Emissions (AIRE) will

CHRISTOPHER POREDA Manager Of The New England Regional Counsel’s

Office, Office of the Chief Counsel, New England Region ✈ Chris, this is 

the second time you’ve given us a comment that has changed the Flight Plan, 

so thank you for being so vigilant in keeping us on track. This time you 

commented about the international contributions to aviation since the beginning of flight, and as a result, we’ve changed the narrative of this section to

reflect that.
accelerate collaboration on environmentally

friendly procedures and standards, with

demonstration flights beginning in FY 2008.

We are expanding our outreach in the

Western Hemisphere starting with opening

an FAA office in Brazil in 2008. Through our

leadership in the International Civil Aviation

Organization (ICAO) Committee on Aviation

Environmental Protection (CAEP), we are

coordinating with other nations to address

the environmental impacts of aviation.

Bilateral aviation safety agreement negotiations are under way with Mexico, Japan,

South Korea and the European Community

as well. We continue to support Safe Skies

for Africa, the Third Border Initiative and

special programs to restore aviation infrastructure in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

40

Photos by Barry Brayer / FAA
TOP INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP

ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2007

Aviation Safety Leadership. For FY 2007, we focused on efforts to increase cooperation with

China and India as both countries experience significant aviation growth. Additionally, we led

U.S. preparations for the ICAO Triennial Assembly in September 2007 and the October 2007

ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program. We promoted U.S. aviation environmental

policies with European partners, and supported the implementation of performance-based

technologies in the Western Hemisphere region. 

Global Aviation Harmonization. In Europe, we worked with aviation organizations on modernization programs to ensure compatibility of operating systems. We are cooperating with Canada

and Mexico to implement technical systems that will help create a North American regional

Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS).

Bilateral Agreements. We are cooperating with bilateral and multilateral partners in the Americas,

Europe, and Asia to negotiate agreements and procedures to support the transfer of aviation

products and services. Since 2004, we’ve signed nine bilateral aviation safety agreements

with eight countries. Bilateral agreements are currently under negotiation with Mexico, Japan,

South Korea, and the European Community.

External Funding. The FAA has secured FY 2007 funding commitments of $13 million to support international aviation infrastructure projects. This includes $3 million for the Safe Skies

for Africa Program and $5 million for aviation assistance programs in Afghanistan, funded by

the World bank, the Swedish international Development Cooperation Agency, and the Asian

Development Bank.

Environmental Leadership. Through the AIRE, we are working in partnership with the European

Commission, air navigation service providers, airlines, and industry representatives toward

enhanced interoperability, improved energy efficiency, reduced engine emissions, and lower

aircraft noise.

NextGen Technologies. We are continuing to develop and apply uniform standards, procedures,

and air and space transportation policies worldwide, enhancing safety and efficiency on a

global scale. In April 2007, the FAA formally agreed to provide assistance and guidance to

China in implementing Reduced Vertical Separation Minima (RVSM). This capability is critical

in helping China handle the expected increase in air traffic volume as it prepares for the

2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

41

© W. Cody / Corbis
OBJECTIVE 1

Promote improved safety and regulatory oversight in cooperation with bilateral, regional,

and multilateral aviation partners.

Strategy

Support the continued development of

competent aviation authorities worldwide.

Initiatives

● Provide technical assistance and training

and strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships with key civil aviation organizations in the Middle East, Asia, and the

Americas.

● Implement civil aviation safety programs

to support the Administration’s initiatives. 

● Support creating government-industry

partnerships to help transfer aeronautical

products, services, and technologies to

key developing regions. 

● Provide technical assistance and training

to strengthen the capabilities of at least

four regional aviation authorities or

organizations to meet international safety

and efficiency standards.

42

Air Tour Management Program (ATMP) — Majuro and Chuuk in Micronesia for FAA International Program / Photo by Barry Brayer / FAA
Strategy 

● Work with key international partners to

implement safety enhancements that will

improve worldwide aviation safety while

enabling the transfer of aeronautical

products, technologies, and services.

Initiatives

● Establish an effective partnership with

the European Union and the European

Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to ensure

the highest level of cooperation for aviation safety and an efficient exchange of

products, services, and technologies. 

● Establish coordinated safety agendas

throughout the world to improve 

aviation safety.

● Negotiate and conclude bilateral agreements for safety, certification, and

approval systems that enable technology

transfer with global aviation partners. 

Strategy 

Support ICAO and other international

organization initiatives.

Initiatives

● Provide U.S. technical participation and

leadership in ICAO meetings to achieve

U.S. objectives.

● Strategically influence international aviation safety, capacity, and efficiency by

promoting FAA recommendations and

policies at key international venues. 

● Increase recruitment of qualified U.S.

technical personnel to fill positions 

at ICAO.

● Prioritize agency efforts to improve ICAO

Standards and Recommended Practices

(SARPs) to reflect advances in U.S. technologies, practices and procedures, and

work with the international community

to implement SARP changes.

● Work at ICAO to foster international

environmental standards, recommended

practices, and guidance materials that are

technically feasible, economically reasonable, provide a measurable benefit and

consider interdependencies between the

various emissions and between emissions

and noise.

Strategy

Secure external funding for global safety

initiatives.

Initiative

● Increase international aviation development funding to strengthen the global

aviation infrastructure.

Performance Targets

● Work with the Chinese aviation authorities and industry to adopt 27 proven

Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST)

safety enhancements by FY 2011. This

supports China’s efforts to reduce commercial fatal accidents to a rate of 0.030

fatal accidents per 100,000 departures 

by FY 2012. 

● Conclude at least eight (new or expanded)

bilateral safety agreements that will facilitate an increase in the ability to exchange

aviation products and services by FY 2012. 

43
Day in and day out, FAA employees provide technical assistance and training to foreign aviation personnel from around the world — all in the name of safety. As we share technological

and procedural advances with other countries, we work toward our goal of increasing the safety of the global aerospace system.

In FY 2007, the FAA provided technical assistance and training to over 40 countries. From

teaching customized courses to giving guidance on aviation law, our support reached around

the world. The FAA provided the civil aviation authorities of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda with

technical assistance and training, which was used when establishing the first regional safety

oversight organization in the East African Community. We helped the Israel Airports Authority

with a large-scale air traffic modernization project. With our ongoing technical assistance

effort, both the Dominican Republic and Trinidad & Tobago achieved and maintained Category

1 status. 

The FAA taught technicians from Canada and Mexico how to maintain Wide Area

Augmentation System equipment, helping to increase navigational accuracy in North America.

For the first time, we developed long-term U.S.-based training programs for aviation personnel

from Spain and Korea. Required Navigation Performance workshops were conducted in New

Delhi. Representatives from Jamaica, Canada, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Singapore and the

United Kingdom participated in the first Aviation Safety Management Systems (SMS) course. 

The list goes on and on. We salute our employees who work every day to increase aviation

safety worldwide so that our citizens can travel as safely abroad as at home.

BRINGING SAFETY TO MILLIONS

44

© Gary S Chapman / Getty Images
● Secure a yearly increase in international

aviation development funding to strengthen the global aviation infrastructure.

Increase the FY 2007 external funding

baseline target of $12 million in $3 million annual increments for an FY 2012

target of $27 million. 

OBJECTIVE 2

Promote seamless operations around the

globe in cooperation with bilateral, regional,

and multilateral aviation partners.

Strategy 

Collaborate with strategic global partners to

implement Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) performance-based

systems and concepts to ensure harmonization with corresponding international

modernization efforts. 

Initiatives

● Work with the international civil aviation

community to adopt

enabling systems, such

as the Global

Navigation Satellite

System (GNSS) and

ADS-B, to improve

safety of flight 

operations. 

● Develop and implement

capacity enhancing

applications, such as

Performance-Based

Navigation (PBN),

embracing current

operational capabilities to the maximum

extent possible. 

● Improve global interoperability and 

harmonization of systems, concepts,

automation tools and operational procedures in support of future seamless 

global operations. 

● Manage the international strategy in 

support of the NextGen Global

Harmonization Working Group and 

work with civil aviation and interagency

partners to continually assess and implement the strategy.

Performance Target

● By FY 2012, expand the use of NextGen

Air Transportation System (NextGen)

performance-based systems and concepts

to five priority countries.

45

Air Tour Management Program in Micronesia.

Photo by Barry Brayer / FAA
46 © Dynamic Graphics Group / Creatas / Alamy
47

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Our goal is to ensure the success of the FAA’s mission

through stronger leadership, a better-trained and safer 

workforce, enhanced cost-control measures, and improved

decision-making based on reliable data.

T he previous three goals — safety,

capacity, and international leadership

— are what we do. Organizational

excellence is how we do it. We recognize

that the success of an organization relies

on the strength of its employees. None of

the achievements in this Flight Plan would

be possible without the cooperation,

expertise, perseverance, and dedication of

every person at the FAA. 

Our managers are held accountable for

achieving measurable goals in a safe, 

efficient, and cost-effective manner. We

focus on outcomes. We set strategies,

which dictate our funding priorities. 

As part of the agency’s Cost Control

Program, FAA has realized over $150 million of recurring cost savings and cost

avoidance from cost efficiency initiatives

implemented in FY 2005 and FY 2006.

These initiatives include non-controller

attrition savings of approximately $60 million, IT-related savings of over $30 million,

and cost avoidance of about $13 million in

the workers’ compensation program. 

In FY 2007, we realized the first full year

of cost savings from consolidation of

accounting offices into one location — 

savings of more than $4 million annually.

In addition, we negotiated office equipment and supply contracts on a national

level, and expect to achieve a $15 million

reduction in IT-related expenses this year. 

We updated the Controller Hiring Plan so

our facilities are staffed based on trends

and traffic. This ensures we have the right

number of controllers working in the right

place at the right time. We also increased

the number of air traffic controller classes

at the FAA Academy, and continue to

move controllers to facilities with the size

or complexity most commensurate with

their experience. 

We are actively recruiting entry-level controllers from the general public including

universities, military transition centers,

state and local employment services and

government recruitment centers. In addition to newspaper and radio ads we use

technology to expand our reach and have
promoted the agency on MySpace,

FaceBook, and CraigsList. 

Our joint effort with the Department

of Veterans Affairs enables veterans

with disabilities to take advantage 

of on-the-job training opportunities

through FAA’s new Veterans’ Employment Program. This initiative allows

veterans with disabilities to train for

air traffic control and airway transportation systems specialist positions.

48

GWYNNE O'CONNELL Manager of Management & Business Services Division,

Office of Aviation Safety, Washington Headquarters ✈ Gwynne, you recommended that we change our metric on filling critical positions to better align

with the Office of Personnel Management’s metric for all external hires. This

will result in more open competition on external hires and increase the number

of positions included in the metric. We agree and have made the change to

better improve our performance.

Garrett A Morgan Day at DOT/FAA Potomac Airfield

Photos by Lockett Yee / FAA
49

TOP ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE

ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR FY 2007

NextGen Reform Act of 2007. The Secretary sent a legislative proposal for comprehensive

reform of FAA programs and financing to Congress in February 2007. It would develop a 

cost-based financing system to support both the current air transportation system and the

transformation to the NextGen system. 

Air Traffic Controller Recruitment. FAA has successfully recruited and continues to recruit

entry-level air traffic controller positions to keep a full pipeline of new controllers across the

country. By the end of the fiscal year, we will have issued vacancy announcements for facilities in every state, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Recruitment efforts are taking place at over 800

colleges, universities, military transition centers, and government one-stop recruitment centers. 

Employee Safety. Increased safety awareness in the workplace prevents injuries and reduces

costs. We provided safety training to over 4,600 FAA employees, integrated employee safety

into FAA management training, and our Aeronautical Center reached the Merit status in

OSHA’s Voluntary Protection program.

Thumbs up for MyFAA. We launched the new MyFAA Employee site on February 26, 2007 to

improve internal communications. The new site is based on an employee-powered study in

early 2006 as well as many suggestions employees sent to the web management team. 

Sustained success managing Human Capital, an important element of the President’s

Management Agenda (PMA). The FAA has excelled in accomplishing its goals for Human

Capital Planning for the last three years. We put in place a Senior Leadership Development

Process to ensure the agency has high-caliber senior leadership critical to success. We completed assessments of our managers, information technology, human resources, engineering,

and acquisition workforces to understand the expertise we have in our workforce. 

Workers’ Compensation Program Cost Containment. The FAA created a consolidated National

Workers’ Compensation Program (OWCP) resource and all FAA claims are now managed centrally. This consolidation reduced agency costs for the third consecutive year. As of June

2007, cost avoidance in this area totaled $14 million. 

SAVES Program. The FAA continues implementation of its innovative strategic sourcing initiative (SAVES). Through the SAVES program, FAA awarded seven national contracts covering

administrative commodities such as office supplies and equipment, IT hardware, and

courier/overnight mail services. Through June 2007, the SAVES program has achieved over

$2.5 million in savings and over 90 percent compliance in office supplies and equipment.

© PhotoAlto / Alamy
OBJECTIVE 1

Make the organization more effective with

stronger leadership, increased commitment

of individual workers to fulfill organizationwide goals, and a better prepared, better

trained, safer, diverse workforce.

Strategy 

Use workforce planning to identify and 

fulfill current and future human capital

needs to meet FAA’s mission.

Initiatives

● Sustain and improve agency human capital

planning and measurement processes. 

● Implement the hiring, training, staffing

analysis, and management recommendations of the Air Traffic Controller

Workforce Plan to support FAA’s safety

mission and meet external stakeholder

requirements. Update and report annually

on agency progress.

Strategy

● Build stronger leadership to achieve

strategic goals, manage people and

resources effectively, and drive 

continuous improvement.

Initiatives 

● Ensure compliance with corporate policies

on managerial selection and requirements

for training and evaluating probationary

managers. 

50

Photo by Jon Ross / FAA
● Establish corporate managerial training

programs that ensure we use resources

effectively, align with agency goals, drive

continuous improvement. 

● Establish a corporate, senior leadership

development process to build executivelevel competencies.

Strategy 

Implement corporate systems, policies,

programs, and tools to build a resultsoriented, high performance workforce.

Initiatives 

● Undertake a timely and effective corporate approach to conflict management. 

● Monitor and evaluate Employee Attitude

Survey (EAS) Action Plan results. 

● Develop new performance metric(s) in

FY 2008 to measure our progress on

more effective agency leadership.

Strategy

Make strategic people investments and

provide a professional, safe and secure

work environment to attract, acquire, and

retain a highly skilled workforce.

Initiatives

● In external recruitment efforts, implement

corporate strategies that expand the

applicant pool to ensure equal opportunity to all applicants and result in attracting high quality candidates to the FAA.

● Establish corporate employee training

programs to build leadership competence within the FAA workforce, support

professional development, and promote

continuous learning.

● Reduce workplace injuries through

employee safety program evaluations

and OSHA Voluntary Protection Program

measures. 

● Provide our employees with a secure

environment by identifying measures to

protect our employees, our facilities, and

our critical infrastructure.

Strategy 

Promote aviation related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)

skills in the emerging and future aviation

workforce.

Initiative

● In partnership with other Federal, state

and local agencies, aerospace oriented

consortiums, and other private sector aviation organizations, enlarge the pipeline

of students who are prepared to enter

college and graduate with an aerospace

oriented degree in science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics (STEM). 

Strategy

Improve labor management relations while

delivering quality service.

Initiatives

● Monitor labor relations service level

agreements to ensure the requirements of

lines of business and staff offices are met.

● Develop and provide labor relations training for agency supervisors and managers.

51
● Using the Grievance Electronic Tracking

System (GETS), reduce grievance processing time compared to the baseline measure.

Performance Targets

● Increase the score of the Employee

Attitude Survey measure for the areas of

management effectiveness and accountability by at least 5 percent, over the FY

2003 baseline of 35 percent by FY 2010

and maintain through FY 2012. 

● By FY 2010, 70 percent of FAA external

hires will be filled within OPM’s 45-day

standard for government-wide hiring.

● Reduce the total workplace injury and 

illness case rate to no more than 2.44

per 100 employees by the end of FY

2011, and maintain through FY 2012.

● Reduce grievance processing time by 

30 percent (to an average of 102 days)

by FY 2010 over the FY 2006 baseline 

of 146 days, and maintain the reduction

through FY 2012.

● Maintain the air traffic control workforce

at or above the projected annual totals in

the Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan.

OBJECTIVE 2

Improve financial management while delivering quality customer service.

Strategy 

Develop and implement an agency-wide

cost control and cost reduction program.

Initiatives 

● Each FAA organization will develop, track,

and report quarterly on a comprehensive

measure of its operating efficiency or

financial performance. These measures

will include:

— Cost per controlled flight

— Research, Engineering, and 

Development (RE&D) Management 

Staff Efficiency Measure

— Grant Administration Efficiency 

Measure

● Implement line of business-specific 

cost efficiency as well as agency-wide

initiatives to reduce costs or improve

productivity. 

● Improve the overall management of 

cost-reimbursable contracts through the

Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA)

audit process.

● Improve management of FAA’s real 

property assets. 

52

Photo by John M. Rodriguez / FAA
Strategy 

Improve financial performance.

Initiatives 

● Maintain and improve business processes

and systems in order to provide timely

and reliable financial information to FAA

organizations.

● Comply with Office of Management and

Budget (OMB) guidance by performing

routine testing of internal controls to

improve the quality of financial information.

● Reduce improper payments. 

● Continue integrating performance information into budgetary decision-making

and presentation. 

● Improve timeliness and accuracy of

financial transactions by capitalizing

assets in a timely manner.

Strategy

Work with Congress on

new legislation that

furthers accomplishment of the FAA mission, provides stable,

adequate funding, and

supports cost control

and reduction.

Initiatives

● In partnership with

the aerospace community, implement

FAA financial reform

and reauthorization. 

Performance Targets

● Increase cost reimbursable contract closeouts by 1 percent per year, from 86 percent in FY 2008 to 90 percent in FY 2012. 

● Organizations throughout the agency will

continue to implement cost efficiency

initiatives such as:

— 10-15 percent savings for strategic 

sourcing for selected products and 

services;

— By the end of FY 2009, reduce leased 

space for Automated Flight Service 

Stations from approximately 510,000 

square feet to approximately 150,000 

square feet;

— 3 percent reduction in help desk operating costs through consolidations; and

— Annual reduction of $15 million in 

Information Technology operating 

costs.

● Obtain an unqualified opinion on the

agency’s financial statements (Clean

Audit with no material weaknesses) 

each fiscal year. 

53

© Dynamic Graphics Group / Creatas / Alamy
OBJECTIVE 3

Make decisions based on reliable data 

to improve our overall performance and 

customer satisfaction.

Strategy 

Better prepare managers to use cost and

performance data in making decisions.

Initiatives

● Ensure that financial policies and procedures are updated and that management

and staff are well trained in the use of

FAA cost data, as derived from FAA’s

acquisition, cost accounting, accounting,

payroll and personnel systems, to make

management decisions.

● Monitor and report progress on Flight Plan

targets and initiatives and establish the

appropriate linkages and accountability

in each line of business and staff office

with annual Business Plans. 

Strategy

Ensure that FAA is taken off 

the Government Accountability

Office (GAO) High Risk List for

Air Traffic Control Modernization

in FY 2009.

Initiatives

● Develop, document, and use

investment criteria to manage

major capital programs. 

● Implement and improve program management processes 

to remain within acquisition

cost and schedule baselines. 

● Meet all targets set in the FAA/GAO plan

to get off the High Risk List in FY 2009. 

Strategy 

Improve customer communication and

web-based business processes.

Initiatives

● Communicate the goals of the Flight Plan

to the FAA employees and the aerospace

community and gain feedback that helps

the FAA meet their needs. Give employees

a clear line of sight from their jobs to 

the goals of the Flight Plan. 

● Review customer requirements annually

and measure customer satisfaction more

broadly for FAA services. 

● Standardize FAA websites making them

more useful for exchanging information

and conducting business. 

54

Photo by John M. Rodriguez / FAA
Strategy 

Improve the security of our data.

Initiatives

● Protect FAA’s information infrastructure

using advanced cyber defense strategies. 

● Enable enterprise-wide conformance to

information technology enterprise architecture.

Performance Targets

● In FY 2008, 90 percent of major system

acquisition investments are within 10

percent of annual budget and maintain

through FY 2012.

● In FY 2008, 90 percent of major system

acquisition investments are on schedule

and maintain through FY 2012. 

● Increase agency scores on the American

Customer Satisfaction Index, which surveys commercial pilots. 

● Achieve zero cyber security events that disable or significantly degrade FAA services. 

OBJECTIVE 4

Enhance our ability to respond to crises rapidly

and effectively, including security-related

threats and natural disasters.

Strategy

Continue to build and improve emergency

plans and preparedness tools that enable

us to sustain essential services and provide

for employee well-being during crisis events.

Initiatives 

● Develop web-based emergency operation

information-sharing tools that create a

common operational picture and support

effective decision-making. 

Strategy

Strengthen operational coordination, communication, and command and control

capabilities needed to prepare for, respond

to, and recover from crises.

Initiatives

● Improve the use and functionality of

operational and corporate crises response

structures such as specialized hurricane

coordination cells and continuity of

operations programs.

● By October 1, 2008, develop performance

targets that measure improvement in

three outcome areas: readiness; providing

a framework for effective decision-making;

and effective response.

55

Photo by Bryan Whitcomb / FAA
ACRONYMS

ADS-B Automatic Dependent

Surveillance Broadcast

AIP Airport Improvement

Program

AMASS Airport Movement Area

Safety System

ASAP Aviation Safety Action

Program

ASDE-X Airport Surface

Detection Equipment-Model X

CAEP ICAO Committee on

Aviation Environmental

Protection

CAST Commercial Aviation 

Safety Team

CDA Continuous Descent Arrival

CEDR Center for Early Dispute

Resolution 

COSP Continued Operational 

Safety Program

EAS Employee Attitude Survey

EASA European Aviation 

Safety Agency

EWG Environmental Working

Group

FACT Future Airport Capacity

Task

FOQA Flight Operational 

Quality Assurance

FY Fiscal Year

GNSS Global Navigation 

Satellite System

ICAO International Civil Aviation

Organization

JPDO Joint Planning and 

Development Office

NAS National Airspace System

NextGen Next Generation Air

Transportation System

OE Operational Errors

OEP Operational Evolution

Partnership

PMA President’s Management

Agenda

PRM Precision Runway Monitor

RNAV Area Navigation

RNP Required Navigation

Performance

SAAAR Special Aircrew and

Aircraft Authorization Required

SARPS Standards and

Recommended Practices

SIDs Standard Instrument

Departures

SRM Safety Risk Management

SMS Safety Management

System

STARs Standard Terminal

Arrival Routes

TFM Traffic Flow Management

TMA Traffic Management

Advisor

UAS Unmanned Aerial System

URET User Request Evaluation

Tool

VASIP Voluntary Aviation Safety 

Information Program

WAAS Wide Area Augmentation

System

56
Acknowledgments

This Flight Plan is the result of the hard

work and sustained commitment of everyone

involved in the planning process. We would

like to acknowledge and convey our sincere

thanks to all of our employees, Members 

of Congress and their staff, our industry 

partners, and stakeholders.
front cover: © ImageState/Alamy

inside back cover, clockwise from top left: Karen Shelton-Mur / FAA; 

Darrell Ashby / FAA; Phil Potter / FAA; © Corbis; Mike Weiler / FAA; 

Bryan Whitcomb / FAA; Randy K. Rogers / FAA

back cover: Jon Ross / FAA

800 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20591

www.faa.gov

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

OUR VISION

Improve the safety and efficiency of aviation, while being responsive to our customers

and accountable to the public

OUR VALUES

● Safety Is Our Passion. We’re the world leaders in Aviation Safety.

● Quality Is Our Trademark. We serve our country, our customers and each other.

● Integrity Is Our Character. We do the right thing, even when no one is looking.

● People Are Our Strength. We treat people as we want to be treated.

Moving America Safely.

It’s what we do.